Apple announces Siri-based speaker, to take on Amazon, Google

Cook announced the HomePod during Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference, according to the Telegraph. Although Apple Watch has emerged as the leader in its technological niche, it hasn't become a smash hit like the iPhone or the iPad - at least until tablet sales started declining.

Cook also praised the Apple developer community which has 16 million registered developers and added three million past year.

To be available on the market in December this year, the compact wireless speaker has some identical functions offered by similar products made by other companies, such as Amazon Echo, but promises to produce sound with higher quality.

Dock on the iPad: With the latest version iPad will make using the iPad much easier and productive.

Other new watchfaces include a kaleidoscope and new characters such as Woody, Jesse, and Buzz from the Toy Story movie franchise.

That leaves Apple. Although it was the first smartphone maker to come out with a digital assistant when Siri debuted in 2011, it hasn't had a stand-alone assistant.

Apple's developer site indicates that Business Chat will support integration with services such as Apple Pay and Calendar, allowing users to easily pay for products and schedule appointments rights within the Business Chat interface.

Next up in tech is Apple's new version of macOS is called High Sierra which is launched with new Safari browser. Apple is using machine learning to create reminders and notifications throughout the day.

The company is also launching new models of both the iPad and the Mac computer. The mobile OS is available as a developer preview today, and will be rolling out as a free update to select iPhones, iPads, and iPods this fall.

Besides shaving off the bezel, and thus making it impossible to grip in portrait mode, Apple claims the new iPad is 30 per cent faster with an A10X CPU and 12-core GPU, and a display with a 120Hz refresh rate.

Apple'siOS 11 update is packed full of new features including improvements to Siri, an overhauled Control Center, a redesigned App Store, AirPlay2, and improvements to the camera.

Apple also may introduce its next Mac computer, along with the next operating system powering the machine. For example, a message that says "You owe me $20" will automatically pull up a suggestion to tap into Apple Pay, which will suggest $20 as your basic payment. It gives developers the tools they need to develop apps with augmented reality features, and the price of entry for users is as simple as owning an iPhone or iPad.

Apple is expected to announce plans this week to make its Siri voice assistant work with a larger variety of apps, but initial changes were expected to add just a small number of capabilities.